Buhari Considers Banning Al Majiri Schools After Raid on ‘Torture House’

Following the shocking discovery of an Islamic School ‘torture house’ in the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna last week, President Buhari is considering a total ban of the Al Majiri school system.

Responding to a tip-off from a local resident, police rescued around 500 men and boys, who were reportedly beaten, starved, sexually abused, and prevented from leaving.  Some had been held there of years.

The revelations have reignited the debate surrounding the practice of Islamic schools, most of which are found to the north of the country, and home to the majority of Nigeria’s Muslim population.

President Buhari, a Muslim himself, will now face renewed pressure to instil real change and prevent anything like this from happening in the future.

There is a strong north-south divide in Nigeria, largely stemming from its colonial past, when the British provided greater social infrastructure to the south which, at the time, was seen as more important to the colonial project.

Many parents send their children to these Al Majiris, meaning emigrant in Arabic, because they cannot afford to buy the books and uniforms needed in government schools.

Proponents of the Al Majiri system say it provides parents without any money a way to educate their children. Yet its detractors argue they are a breeding ground of extremism, pushing children into the arms of Boko Haram, with little regard for the well-being of the students.